Three's A Party
by Ghostwriter
Summary: After realizing that she's fallen for Damon, Elena breaks up with Stefan. However, Damon has the perfect solution.
1. Realization

THREE'S A PARTY

AUTHOR'S NOTE/DISCLAIMER

This takes place after "Bloodline" but before "Unpleasantville". This is pretty much canon exception Lexi wasn't killed. Vampire Diaries belongs to L.J. Smith and the CW.

Elena wasn't sure how it had happened, but somehow Stefan and Damon had consumed her with their love for her. Stefan was sweet, kind, considerate, charming, loyal, always looking out for her, thoughtful, safe, but still dangerous, while Damon, was rash, reckless, suave, cocky, arrogant, self-absorbed, but in a way considerate. They were two very different men, but also very similar. She let out a sigh as she wrote in her diary.

_ Dear Diary, what am I supposed to do? I love Stefan dearly, I do, but I've also fallen for Damon. I know Katherine put a rift in their friendship that they've never gotten back, and I don't want to widen that rift. But how can I deny what I'm feeling inside? When I'm with either of them, my heart races in anticipation and I can't wait to spend more time with them. But how can I feel the same way for two guys who are so vastly different, even if they __**are**__ brothers? What am I supposed to do, Diary? I don't want to hurt Stefan, but I can't string him along. Not like I did Matt. It's not fair to him. Oh Diary, I'm so confused…_

Elena leaned back in her bed and her eyes clouded. Everything she had just written down was true. And add to the fact that Damon had been a perfect gentleman while they were in Georgia even though he could've compelled her to do whatever he wanted…_Oh, everything's such a mess_, she thought to herself. What was she going to do? She wished she could talk to her mother. She'd know what to do. But unfortunately, the woman was no longer here. Elena supposed she could talk to Aunt Jenna, but how was she supposed to explain the situation without revealing that the brothers were vampires? Elena let out another sigh and then went back to writing in her diary. What she didn't know was that Stefan was also writing in his diary.

** Dear Diary, I'm not sure what to do about Elena. I don't know if she sees it, but Damon's fallen in love with her and she's fallen in love with him. I've seen her look at him the way she looks at me. And I hate to admit it, but I'm not even mad about it. Elena's a great girl. I can see why Damon fell for her. I know he thinks he's still looking for a way to get Katherine out of the tomb, and maybe he is, but love for Elena has consumed him just like it's consumed me. And I can remember the old Damon. The one that cared about others and would do anything for those that he loved. Our fight over Katherine ripped us apart and it's threatening to happen again, though it's not Elena's fault. A heart wants what it wants, and there's not much anyone can do…**

Stefan closed his diary and he frowned thoughtfully. He wasn't really sure what to do with his realization that Elena and Damon had fallen for each other. He had tried to prevent it, but it looked like history was doomed to repeat itself. Just then, Damon walked in, breaking Stefan out of his reverie.

"Deep thoughts, Brother?" Damon queried, only slightly mocking.

"Not tonight, Damon. I'm not in the mood," Stefan told him.

"You're not still worried about Elena going off to Georgia with me, are you?" Damon jeered. "Well, don't worry your pretty little head. I didn't compel her to fall in love with me or anything," he deadpanned.

"But she **has** fallen for you, Brother. And yet, she's still enamored with me…which is the problem," came the response.

"It's like I said, some women can't resist my style, my charm-" Damon began.

"And your unflinching ability to listen to Taylor Swift. I know, I know," Stefan interrupted. "The point is: history is repeating itself whether we like it or not. Our love for her consumes us." Damon didn't know how to respond. What Stefan said was true. He had fallen for Elena from the moment he had seen her. He had tried to fight it, telling himself that he was only interested in freeing Katherine, and doing everything he could to make it happen, but despite himself, thoughts of Elena had crept in, pushing Katherine's memory away. What he had told Elena had been true: they had been having fun in Georgia and he had wanted it to be real. He wanted her to like him for him, not because he had forced her to like him. Damon let out a small scoff as he shook his head.

"You're right, Brother," he agreed. "So, what are we going to do about it?" he questioned.

"We can't force her to make a choice," Stefan reminded.

"Who says she has to choose?" Damon queried. It took a minute for Stefan to understand what his brother was insinuating.

"I really don't see Elena as that type of girl," he said with a roll of his eyes.

"You never know Brother. She could be a wildcat just waiting to get out," the other boy commented. Stefan fell silent. He wasn't sure if he wanted to continue this conversation. Though, he had to admit there would probably be a lot less fighting if the three of them were together. He shook his head. What was he thinking? That was Ripper territory. And he was **never** going back to that. Without another word, Stefan walked away from Damon and went to his room, and got into bed, closing his eyes, letting the night sounds lull him to sleep. The next morning, he awoke, got dressed, grabbed his things, got into his car, started it, and drove to Mystic Falls High. Once he was at school, he walked into the building and headed for his locker, where he was surprised to see Elena waiting, backpack in her hand.

"Elena," he said.

"We need to talk, Stefan," she announced.

"Is everything okay?"

"No."

"What is it?"

"I-this isn't fair to you. I've fallen for Damon and-I don't know what to do about it, but I **do** know that I'm not going to string you guys along. I can't do that again. I **won**'**t**." Stefan wasn't really sure what Elena meant by again, but figured it probably had something to with Matt.

"So what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that until I can figure out where I stand with each of you, you and I can't be together."

"Elena-" Stefan reached out to touch her wrist, but she stepped back.

"I once told Damon that I wasn't Katherine, but somehow, I turned into her. I'm sorry, Stefan. This is for the best." With that, she shifted her backpack on her shoulder and walked off. The rest of the day seemed to drag on slowly for Stefan. He couldn't believe what had just happened. Not that he begrudged Elena. After all, she was acting pretty mature, and besides, this was a confusing situation even **without** the fact that she looked like Katherine. When school was finally out, Stefan went to his car, and drove back home. When he arrived there, he headed straight for his room, slamming the door shut, causing Damon to raise an eyebrow in mild surprise. _I just stepped into a human moment_, he thought to himself. He went to Stefan's room and opened the door.

"Tell me son, what's troubling you?" he asked in a mock fatherly tone. For an answer, Stefan grabbed a pencil and threw it at him, hitting his brother in the chest right below the heart. "Awful close, Brother," he scolded, removing the pencil. "So, what's going on?"

"Elena dumped me until she can figure out what she wants to do about the fact that she's fallen for both of us," he replied.

"Well, you're the one who wanted the whole human experience. Consider this a human experience," his brother stated. Instantly, Stefan lunged at Damon, slugging him in the jaw.

"I'm going to let this pass," the older brother told him. "Well, short of compelling her, there's not much you can do," he continued. Stefan let out an unnecessary sigh as his brother walked away. Unfortunately, Damon was right. There wasn't much he could do.

"This sucks," he grumbled. What was he supposed to do? After all, he couldn't compel her because of the Vervain necklace he had given her. But then again, would he really want to compel her to love him? Stefan mentally shook his head. No. If he compelled Elena's love, it would be hollow. And that was the last that he wanted. But what was he supposed to do? Meanwhile, back at her own house, Elena was writing in her diary about what had transpired. She sighed sadly. What was she going to do? She meant everything she had said Stefan. She hadn't wanted to hurt him, even though she had a feeling that she **had** hurt him. _I am sorry for it, but it was the right thing to do_, she thought to herself. She had grown up some since she had dated Matt and she wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. That's why it had been necessary to break up with Stefan so that she could gather her thoughts together and figure out what exactly she was feeling for Damon. Finally, she finished writing and put her journal away and then lied back down on her bed and let out another sigh. What was she supposed to do? Her eyes clouded as she recalled Stefan's expression. He had been so hurt, not that she could blame him. But it would be better for him in the long run. He needed to be with someone who knew what she wanted and wouldn't strain his relationship with his brother even farther. And she couldn't give him that. So it stood to reason that she wasn't the right girl for him. The girl let out another sigh. That hurt more than she cared to admit, but she wasn't going to be selfish again. It was bad enough making the mistake once; she didn't need to make the same mistake twice. Then, she let out a groan and rolled over on her bed, trying unsuccessfully to drive these thoughts from her head.


	2. Decision

DISCLAIMER

Vampire Diaries belongs to L.J. Smith and the CW. I only own the plot. I use a variation of a Season 3 line.

For both Elena and Stefan, the next few days seemed to drag on. At school, their interactions were awkward and Elena even went so far as to avoid Stefan.

"Elena, what are you doing?" Bonnie asked after a while.

"What's best for both of us. I had a great guy in Stefan and yet I was feeling the same way about Damon that I was feeling about him," Elena answered.

"It was probably a compulsion. I mean, didn't you say that you weren't wearing your necklace in Georgia?" Bonnie pointed out.

"He swore he didn't compel me and I believe him," Elena responded. Bonnie let out an exasperated breath. Damon was a total psychopath. How come Elena couldn't see that? However, she wisely kept her mouth shut. She didn't want to say something that would make Elena choose Damon over Stefan. But still…she needed to say **something**.

"Elena, don't forget everything Damon has done," Bonnie cautioned.

"I know. I know," Elena sighed. And that's what made everything so confusing: that she could be attracted to him after all of the damage and bad he had done. _What am I supposed to do?_ she wondered. What the girls didn't know was that Stefan had heard every word. His eyes clouded. He knew that this was weighing on Elena's mind and he knew what **he** wanted her decision to be: him and only him. But did he really want Damon to be hurt like that? He knew his brother's feelings for Elena were real. The warning bell rang, interrupting his reverie. With an unnecessary sigh, he headed to his class as did Bonnie and Elena. However, neither Elena or Stefan could've told anyone what had been covered. Their thoughts were too preoccupied with the breakup and Elena's feelings for both brothers. What am I supposed to do? _No matter what decision I make, one of them is going to be hurt_, she thought to herself. And that was the last thing she wanted: to hurt Stefan or Damon. When school was finally over, Elena headed for the Mystic Grill, placed her backpack on a table, and sat down, pulling out her work and then tried to focus on her assignments. However, it soon proved to be a futile task and she closed a textbook with a heavy sigh.

"Well, you seem to have a lot on your mind," a voice commented. Surprised, Elena looked up.

"Damon," she noted.

"You've been hiding out. Stefan and I haven't seen you for the last few days," Damon stated taking the seat facing her.

"It's for the best. I don't know what I want," Elena replied. "I love Stefan, I do. But-" Elena's voice trailed off.

"But what?" Damon wondered.

"I've fallen for you too. And I don't want to turn into Katherine. It wouldn't be fair to either of you," Elena finished. Damon scoffed. Elena? Turn into Katherine? There was no chance. The fact that she was actually trying to figure out her own feelings rather than play both brothers against each other proved this.

"You're the farthest thing from Katherine. Trust me on this," Damon told her.

"I just-I don't know how it's happened. You've both consumed me. You both love me so deeply and I feel the same for both of you. How is possible?" Elena puzzled.

"Well, you're the type of girl we both would've fallen for as humans…Stefan especially," Damon answered. "And you remind me of how I used to be-**before** Katherine. And I really like it. You make me want to be better again," he continued.

"Wow," she said in surprise. She had no idea that she had been affecting Damon like that.

"Don't be surprised," Damon told her. "Look, Stefan will never admit it, but he misses you. He wants you," stated.

"I miss him too. But I still don't know what I want," Elena confessed.

"Well, who says you always have to choose?" Damon asked. Elena looked at him in confusion. _What does he mean? Of course I have to choose_, she thought to herself. Then she saw the devilish grin and knew instantly what he meant.

"Damon!" she exclaimed, barely remembering to keep her voice down.

"What? You love Stefan, you love me, we both love you. It's a win-win-win," he responded.

"I'm not that type of girl and you know it!" she shot back. Although, she had to admit, the idea was appealing. If she chose to be with both of them, her emotions wouldn't be all over the place.

"All right, all right. Don't get your panties all twisted. It was just a suggestion," he told her, putting his hands up in a placating manner. Perhaps he shouldn't have been so blunt. As she had stated, she wasn't usually that type of girl.

"A ridiculous one!" she said. "I have to choose. I can't be selfish with either of you," she continued. Damon blinked. She thought she was being selfish? That was crazy. If anything, she was being a martyr.

"Trust me. You're being anything but selfish. In fact, you're being-mature," came the response.

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"It can be…if you're denying yourself what you really want."

"But I don't **know** what I want."

"Just think about what I said." Elena rolled her eyes.

"Goodbye, Damon." Realizing that he had been dismissed, Damon stood up and walked away. Elena let out a huff. Get together with the both of them? Had Damon truly lost it? Again, it occurred to her that if she agreed with Damon's suggestion, her problem would be solved. Then, she gave herself a mental shake. What was she thinking? She couldn't be in a relationship with both of them. She had to make a decision. With a sigh, she refocused her attention on her homework. She just had to get everything done. If she could focus on her work, she could forget her troubles for a little bit. Meanwhile, back at the Salvatore Boarding House, Stefan was pacing in the library. What was he going to do? He missed Elena like crazy and he just wanted her back. Maybe Damon had had the right idea after all. Maybe the three of them **should** get together. It would certainly solve all their arguing. _No! I only did that when the Ripper was in control! I can't let him out again_, he thought to himself. The Ripper was a monster and he didn't want Elena seeing him. She would revoke their friendship for sure. He let out an unneeded sigh and rubbed the side of his neck with a hand. What was he supposed to do? He didn't want to lose Elena for good, but at this rate, he was liable to. But if she decided she was happier with Damon, who was he to stand in their way? _What am I supposed to do? I am totally in love with her and so is Damon. But she has to make a decision on her own. I'm not going to force her into anything_, he thought to himself. Just then the front door opened and Damon stepped inside.

"Where have you been?" Stefan asked.

"Trying to solve our problem," Damon replied.

"What? What did you do?" Stefan demanded.

"I offered her a solution," Damon answered.

"Damon! Are you crazy!? Elena's not like that!" Stefan exclaimed.

"Yeah, that's what she said too," Damon replied. "She also said that she didn't want to be Katherine," he added.

"Yeah, in her eyes, she **has** turned into Katherine because of her feelings for both of us," Stefan said, his voice betraying the fact that he disagreed with the girl's assessment of herself. Damon grimaced, obviously sharing his brother's opinion.

"Heart wants what it wants," Damon commented.

"Yeah, but Elena doesn't **know** what or who she wants," Stefan responded, his shoulders slumping.

"True," Damon agreed. And that was the difficult thing. He wanted so much to be selfish. But he couldn't. Not with Elena. Never with Elena. He frowned. He wasn't really sure what to do. It was too bad that he and Stefan couldn't compel Elena to make a decision. But no. Stefan had to play protector and give her a necklace full of Vervain. Not that he begrudged Stefan for doing so. At the time, he had been a threat to Elena so Stefan had taken the necessary precautions. Damon let out an unnecessary breath and then walked to his room. At her own house, Elena walked around her room, mulling her dilemma in her head. What was she going to do? She **had** to make a decision. But who should she choose? Stefan or Damon? Stefan was safe, sweet, smart, funny, considerate…all the things she ever wanted in a relationship. And Damon…he was reckless, arrogant, funny, conniving…everything she should be running away from. And yet…she wasn't running. That had to say something…right? And the more she considered Damon's suggestion, the more sense it made. In fact…it felt right. _Wow. I can't believe I'm actually going to do this_, Elena thought. But it was the only thing she could think of that would make everyone happy. Squaring her shoulders, she grabbed her car keys, walked downstairs, headed out the door to the car, got in, started the ignition, and then headed for the Salvatore mansion. Then, she walked in.

"Elena. What are you doing here?" Stefan wondered as Damon once more came out of his bedroom.

"I know what I want now," Elena replied, causing the brothers to glance at one another. She had made her choice? "And it's you," she told them. Damon's face fell when he saw Elena staring at Stefan. Well of course. She chose Saint Stefan. Who else was she going to choose?

"Okay then. I won't bother you two anymore," he promised and started to leave.

"I meant both of you," she said, causing him to turn around.

"Elena," Stefan said in surprise. That couldn't be how she really felt. There was no way.

"Are you absolutely sure? Have you thought this all the way through?" Damon added, more for her and Stefan's benefit than his own. He couldn't be happier at the decision, but he didn't want the girl to feel like she was being forced into it.

"I've done nothing but think ever since I broke up with Stefan. And this is my decision," Elena replied, walking up to the brothers. She then took Stefan's hand and began kissing it, moving slowly and sensually up his arm. As she did so, Stefan could feel himself becoming aroused. _Does she even realize how hot she is right now?_ he thought to himself. Then her kisses were on his neck and her hands were everywhere, causing him to moan in delight and reciprocate her actions. Elena then subtly gestured with her head for Damon to join them. Without hesitating, the older vampire obliged the girl, quickly blurring so that she was sandwiched between them, receiving the same treatment she was giving to the younger vampire. Stefan let out another moan as he gripped Elena, being mindful not to hurt her. Damon nipped at Elena's neck, resulting in a pleasured moan as his fangs broke her skin. Unable to stop himself, Stefan felt the bloodlust rising to his face, changing his features. He started to bare down but abruptly pulled back.

"Go ahead. I won't mind," she invited.

"I won't be able to stop. I'll lose control," he stated with a shake of his head. If he let the Ripper out, everything would fall apart.

"I won't let that happen, Brother," came the response. Stefan looked at the two hesitantly and they nodded in encouragement. Tentatively, Stefan nipped at Elena's neck barely breaking skin. A part of Damon just wanted to force his brother into it but he had done that in 1912 and it had ended badly. If he was going to teach Stefan control, he'd have to let his brother move at his own pace. After a couple of false starts, Stefan finally broke skin. Then almost like a knife slicing butter, he sank his fangs into Elena's neck and took a sip. Damon watched him protectively and when Elena began to buckle, the older vampire quickly changed their positions so that he was now in between his brother and the girl.

"Get out of my way," Stefan growled, trying to move past him. He could feel the Ripper itching to get out and he wasn't sure if he could stop him. There was blood to be drained. He wanted it and his brother was standing in his way!

"What do you want fight more: me or the bloodlust?" Damon asked, shoving him back, resulting in a growl. Then Stefan looked at Elena who was staring at him in concern. Elena! He had almost hurt Elena! As if sensing his distress, she threw him a reassuring smile.

"I'm okay," she told him.

"Take a deep breath. Get your control," Damon coached. Stefan did as he was told and after a few more times of this, the younger vampire could feel him pushing the urge and the Ripper down.

"I'm-I'm doing it," he said in pleased surprise. _I can't believe I'm actually doing it! I'm taking control of the urge. I can control the Ripper_, he thought to himself.

"And we're going to help you through it until I no longer have to coach you," came his brother's answer.

"Thank you," he said. Damon just shrugged as Elena nuzzled him in the back. Then, she led the two to the couch and they all took a place on the furniture, Elena resting comfortably in between the brothers. Stefan looked at them and let a small grin grace his features. He and Elena were back together and she and Damon were going to help him beat the bloodlust. Yeah, being involved with both of them was going to take some getting used to, but there was no place the younger Salvatore would rather be.

THE END


End file.
